The major objective of the proposed program of research is to advance understanding of social learning principles with special emphasis given to the paramount role played by vicarious, symbolic, and self-regulatory processes in the development and modification of human behavior. One line of research will examine the manner in which symbolic coding, rehearsal, and motivational processes govern observational learning of modeled behavior. A second series of studies is designed to clarify the mmchanisms through which vicarious reinforcement altera the behavior of observers. Another aspect of this program of research is concerned with the phenomenon of vicarious conditioning, whereby observes acquire emotional responses by watching the affective expressions of others undergoing aversive experiences. The research will examine factors that both enhance vicarious learning and attenuate emotional responsiveness to the suffering of others. A social learning analysis of aggression is also planned. Specifically, we shall measure how the effects of exposure to televised violence are mediated by personal and reinforcement determinants. Other experiments will investigate the disinhibition of aggression through self-exonerating practices. In our prior research we have evolved a powerful therapeutic procedure combining modeling with guided performance. Additional studies are planned to extend the applicability of this approach and to identify the processes by which the psychological changes are achieved.